Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It
Written by Sundee T. Frazier
Narrated by Mirron Willis
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, this acclaimed, multicultural book about a biracial boy with a passion for science will resonate with children everywhere who can't-or won't-be defined by categories.
Ten-year-old Brendan Buckley is a self-declared scientist: asking questions and looking for answers, but most of all struggling against the overprotective behavior of his parents. Up until now, he has never even met his grandfather-the grandfather his mother won't even speak of.
A chance encounter brings Brendan and his grandfather together where Brendan initiates a relationship with estranged grandfather, Ed DeBose. While they share a passion for geology, they do not share the color of their skin; Brendan's skin is brown, not pink like Ed DeBose's. Pretty soon, Brendan sets out to uncover the reason behind Ed's absence but soon discovers that family secrets can't be explained by science.
This is a novel about a boy learning about race relations and what it means to be a family.
An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year
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Reviews for Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It
65 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Brendan Buckleys Universe was a book I wish I could have engaged with more. It won the Coretta Scott King award but I was dissatisfied with the plot. I really had trouble relating to Brendan's grandfather or understanding all the secrecy from Brendan's mother. If Grandpa Ed has changed, how come his hasn't been to see his daughter or grandchild in 10 years? If he is still the same, why would Brendan want to know him? This book could be used to teach themes of prejudice, igmorance, and forgiveness.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brendan's boyish earnestness is charming; he's a good kid you'd want to get to know. His desire to understand his identity and family dynamics will be familiar to many multiracial kids. Booktalk: Brendan Buckley loves making scientific discoveries. He has a notebook where he writes down questions he wonders about like “Do centipedes really have 100 legs?” and “Do boys fart more than girls?” Then he works to discover the answers. Brendan also loves collecting rocks and discovering new things about them. That’s why he decided to join a rock-collecting club and that’s where he made his biggest discovery of all: the older white man who is president of the club turns out to be his grandfather. Brendan has never met his mother’s father before. And she refuses to talk about him. Brendan doesn’t know why; his grandfather seems like a nice man. Without telling his parents, Brendan secretly visits his grandfather and goes rock-collecting with him. But there are some discoveries that science can’t explain and soon Brendan wishes he’d never met his grandfather at all.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The agenda (life of a multiracial child) overshadows the story.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The last 100 pages were much better than the first 100. It just took way too long to get interesting. I give this a 2.5, round to 3.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Brendan has a notebook full of his scientific experiment ideas and he can't wait to use his summer to find the answer to as many of his questions as possible. Throughout this summer though, more questions pop up for Brendan than he is ready for -- the biggest one: why has he never met the grandpa that lives just one town over? This book was too cliched for me to enjoy. I feel like the message (a good one: everyone deserves to make their own choices and be treated equally) was stamped too heavily throught the story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's the summer of Brendan's tenth year. Having recently lost his Grandpa Clem, Brendan discovers another grandfather Ed Debose. But why has no one ever told him of this grandparent? Why has he been in hiding and how does Brendan go about finding the truth? Brendan learns the answers to these questions and learns a lot about himself.YA566-Q4, YA566-P4 It's all about identity!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Frazier, Sundee T. (2008). Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It. New York: Yearling.Brenden is a biracial child. His mom is white and his father is African American. He gets to see his father's parents often, but he has never meet his grandparents from his mother's side and he doesn't really know why. Other than that, Brenden seems like a normal kid. He likes science - especially rocks. One day his grandmother takes him to a rock show and he meets his mom's father, his grandfather. Brenden is excited by this, but soon finds out that some things aren't always as simple as they seem. This book dealt with issues that might be too much for younger readers, but 4th through 6th graders would probably really enjoy this book. It seems like it would appeal to more boys, but girls could also enjoy the storyline. It would be a good book to use to discuss the issues of racism or prejudice with young readers.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/511 year old Brendan Buckley was going to spend his summer hanging out with his friend Khalfani, practicing his Tae Kwon Do, and uncovering scientific answers to the questions written in his notebook. When Brendan went to the mall to check out a rock exhibit, he learns that his grandfather, who he has never met, is the president of the organization hosting the event. His grandfather becomes the number one question in his notebook, Brendan seeks out to find answers to why his grandfather has never been in his life.This book’s plot will have you hooked. I also liked how the author uses the scientific method to the way Brendan approaches getting to know his grandfather.Extension Ideas1. Teach/explain the steps of the scientific method.2. Teach how to find an average for a math lesson.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brendan, a 10 year-old biracial boy becomes curious about his heritage. When he discovers that his mother no longer is in contact with her father, Brendan's grandfather, he begins a search to find out why. Brendan is a smart, considerate, great kid who loves science, tae kwon do, and his best friend, Khalfani.